Exerciser and amusement device



Jan. 27, 1959 M. v. COOK 2,871,017

EXERCISER AND AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed June 21, 1955 INVENTOR. Mn. rozv V C 00K vil' EXERCISER AND AMUSEMENT DEVICE Milton V. Cook, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 21, 1955, Serial No. 516,945

1 Claim. 01.272 49 This invention relates to an exercising device and has as one of its objects the provision of an exerciser for strengthening the wrist, arm, shoulder, back, and abdominal muscles.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an exerciser which is adapted to be grasped and manipulated by either hand individually or by both hands simultaneously.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an exerciser as in the foregoing which is especially suited to the training of prize fighters.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an exerciser which may also be used as an amusement device. t

A still further object is the provision of a combined exerciser and amusement device which is simple in construction, and inexpensive to manufacture, as well as compact and light weight so that it may be readily transported from place to place.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present exerciser will become readily apparent from the following detailed description thereof taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the exerciser and amusement device of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modified form of the present exerciser and amusement device;

a Fig. 4 is an elevation of a further modified form of the present exerciser and amusement device; and

. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2. of the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises four parallel, rods joined at opposite ends to circular bumper plates 11 and 12 to form with said plates an elongated cage 13. Rods 10 may be joined to plates 11 and 12 by providing reduced diameter end portions on the rods to form annular shoulders 14, Fig. 2. These reduced end portions are inserted through holes 15 in the plates 11 and 12 and the outer ends of the rods are then flanged over the plates as indicated at 16, so that the plates will be fixed on the rods between the shoulders 14 and flanges 16. i

Mounted in the cage 13 for movement between bumper plates 11 and 12 is a ball 18 of resilient material. The spacing between the rods 10 is made somewhat less than the diameter of ball 18 so that the latter will be precluded from passing between the rods. Bumper plate 11 has a handle 19 rigidly fixed to its outer surface.

According to one manner of using the present exerciser and amusement device, handle 19 is grasped in either hand with the cage 13 extending away from the users body. The user then flexes his arm in a manner to reciprocate cage 13 in the direction of its length to cause the ball 18 to move into contact with first one of United States Patent 0 2,871,017. Patented Jan. 27, 1959 the bumper plates 11 or 12 and then the other bumper plate. The resiliency of the ball 18 will cause the latter to bounce from one bumper plate toward the other so that by flexing the arm at the proper frequency ball 18 cage 13 is positioned generally horizontally and crosswise of the users body with one hand grasping handle 19 and the other hand grasping the bumper plate 12. The device is then reciprocated in the direction of its length, to cause ball 18 to bounce back and forth between bumper plates 11 and 12, as previously described. The device may also be slowly tilted about a horizontal axis during such reciprocation thereof.

This latter manner of using thedevice is intended primarily to exercise the muscles of the shoulder, back, and abdomen. exercised, to some extent, during such use. apparent that the present exerciser is ideally suited to in strengthening of those muscles of thebody which are primarily used by one in that occupation but also facili tates the instilling of a sense of rhythm in thefuser which is of fundamental importance in the training of prize fighters.

In practice, cage 13 would be made in various weights and lengths to provide exercisers for use by persons of different Weights and to provide exercisers having different, natural frequencies at which the device must be reciprocated to cause continued reciprocation of the ball in the cage.

It will also be apparent that the device may be made relatively small so that it may be used as a toy or amusement device by children.

A modified form of the present exerciser and amusement device is illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein an elastic cord 20, or the like, is connected between a bumper plate 21, mounting a handle 22, and the ball 23. The remainder of the device is identical in all respects to that of Fig. 1. The elastic cord 20 has a length equal approximately to one-half the length of the cage and serves merely to resiliently bias the ball toward the bumper plate 21. The use of this latter exerciser is similar to.

that of the exerciser of Fig. 1. except that it is not necessary that the exerciser of Fig. 3 be reciprocated with suificient force to engage the ball 23 with the distal bumper plate 24 since the resiliency of the cord 20 will return the ball toward bumper plate 21.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a still further modified form of the invention. In Figs. 4 and 5 a single rod 25 has a pair of bumper plates 26 and 27 rigidly fixed on its opposite ends. Bumper plate 26 has a handle 28 attached to its outer surface. A ball 29, of resilient material, has a hole 30 extending centrally therethrough in which is fixed a bearing sleeve 31 for slidably receiving rangement of parts of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art.

The invention is, therefore, not intended to be limited to the illustrative embodiments thereof but only by the spirit and scope of the following claim.

The muscles of the legs will also be It will be said guideway so as to be restrained against any appre- 1 ciable lateral movement in theg'uideway and being completely detached from said'houjsing so as'to'be free to roll in said guideway, said housing hav'in'gatfleast one longitudinal opening through which, movement of saidball in the guideway may be observed by a user of the device, and a handle secured to one end of said housing, said handle including a hand grip extending transverse to the length of the housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 514,420 Iacobus Fell 6, 1894 2,509,810 Core May '30, 1950 2,528,213 'Dantolan -Oct. 31, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,250 Great Britain 1894 

